Young Love
by kappie01
Summary: I was watching the 3rd Naruto movie, and my brain then just started demanding that I write a fanfiction about it. I hope everyone enjoys my version of the 3rd movie. Araile comes along as Kakashi, Naruto, Rock Lee and Sakura have the mission of protecting the Prince of Crescent Moon Island and his son, Hikaru. Will she survive this endeavour?
1. Chapter 1

**I only own my OC. I hope everyone enjoys my take on the 3rd Naruto movie, which in my opinion is the most adorable movie of the Naruto universe.**

The sun was blazing as the team staggered through the dessert. Araile was one happy 11 year old as she bounced around the team of Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura and Rock Lee. She was allowed to travel with them to guard a prince of a small island, and the young girl looked at her surroundings with excitement.

She had never been in the dessert before, and she couldn't believe how vast it was.

Naruto began complaining about how hot it was, and Araile giggled as Sakura scolded him. You had donned on shorts with a dark brown shirt, your white and black hair pulled in a low ponytail.

Her blue sandals kicked up sand with each step, causing her to giggle again each time. Twitching her ears, she cocked her head to the side as numerous carriages came straight towards them.

Kakashi stopped the team, and a moment of shyness overtook Araile, causing her to stand partially behind her caregiver.

"Woah, what's with all this stuff?" Naruto asked as a large carriage stopped in front of them.

A large man waddled out with some difficulty, proclaiming that the entire line of carriages were all of his purchases. Araile continued to peak out even as Kakashi introduced each of them to the large man, who had introduced himself as the prince.

Her caregiver placed a hand on Araile as he introduced her, and Araile only managed to give a small nod before retreating back behind Kakashi. Her tail twitched in annoyance as the prince began to leer at Sakura, but stiffled a giggle as Sakura almost crushed the poor man's hand.

Her ears twitched as something suddenly struck Naruto in the forehead, causing Araile to walk out behind Kakashi to see what hit her friend. She jumped back in surprise as Naruto sprang up with a kunai, and laughed as an arrow was stuck to his headband.

"Papa, are these guys really ninja?" a young voice said from the large carriage.

Araile looked towards the voice, and blinked when a boy came out, an arrogant smirk on his face.

So he was the one that shot the arrow.

He looked to be around 8 or 9 years old with large glasses. The Prince introduced him as his son, Hikaru and as Kakashi greeted him, Hikaru looked over to you and quickly looked away, a small blush gracing his cheeks.

"Well, let's be on our way" the large Prince said, and steered his son back into the large carriage.

Before they got in, Hikaru turned and looked at the ninja, pointing to Araile.

"I want her to ride with us" he stated in a no-nonsense voice, and Araile grounded her teeth, about to refuse.

Her refusal was cut short when Kakashi placed his hand on her head and guided her over to the carriage. She pushed her heels down through her sandals, but unfortunately the Jonin was too strong for her.

"But Kakashi! I don't want to go in there!" Araile protested, ears lying flat against her head as she continued to dig her heels in.

"It will be fine. Besides, you might make a friend" her caregiver said with his one visible eye crinkling in a smile, causing Araile to glare at him as Kakashi pushed her into the ornate carriage.

She stumbled into the carriage as the Prince and his son got comfortable on big seats. Araile climbed on a seat beside Hikaru and pressed herself against the side, her hands clutched in her lap. Hikaru took out an electronic game and proceeded to play it, thankfully ignoring her.

A glimpse of movement caught the girl's eye and she looked out the window, eyes widening as her team battled some rough looking bandits.

Her muscles clenched as she watched from the window, itching to join in the fight. She had gotten better at fighting, even excelling at defending and attacking with kunai.

But she was stuck in here with a balloon-sized man and an arrogant child.

Her tail twitched in annoyance. Kakashi was going to get it later. Heaving a sigh, Araile balked when she noticed the young boy staring at her ears.

"Why are your ears like that?" he asked, and Araile crossed her arms.

"Because they are! Why do you wear glasses?" she retorted back, causing the boy to harrumph, which she snorted in return.

Oh yes, Kakashi would get it bad. Maybe hiding his precious book would get the message clear.

Finally, the carriages stopped as night came and Araile jumped out of the carriage as soon as the door was opened. As the ninja waited for their food to cook, Araile looked back at the Prince and his son. Her tail twitched in annoyance as she caught Hikaru staring at her again before returning to his food. A growl rumbled through her and she snorted as she sat beside Sakura.

Stupid boys.

Her eyes lit up as her food was ready, and she wiggled in happiness as she began chowing down. As the night progressed, the large group got ready for bed. Pulling out her blanket, Araile snuggled down beside Sakura and she gazed up at the night sky. She had never seen so many stars before!

Feeling sleep tug at her body, she heaved a sigh and turned on her side, blanket tucked securely around her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the second instalment of the 3rd Naruto movie with my twists in it. I hope everyone enjoys!**

The next day, Araile adamantly refused to ride in the carriage again, even having to use her ' _youthful eyes_ ' to beg Lee to let her walk with him. He had no choice but to agree and went on a tirade about her being ' _youthful_ ', but Araile stopped paying attention as she skipped ahead happily.

No carriage for her!

Kakashi sighed at her antics, but let her walk with them in the end. She walked beside Sakura and Lee on one side of the carriages as Kakashi talked to the Prince on the other. Her ears twitched as she heard Naruto begin shouting, most likely at that brat Hikaru. Sakura looked at the young girl as Araile snorted.

"So what do you think of Hikaru?" the pink haired girl asked Araile, smiling cheekily.

"He's annoying and stupid" Araile burst out, crossing her arms as she walked, ears laid flat on her head.

"Oh really? It looks like he has a crush on you Araile" Sakura said, and laughed when Araile made a gagging sound.

This caused Lee to go off in another tirade, but this one was about ' _her and Hikaru as young love_ ', causing you to chase Lee around, shouting at him to take that back. As they continued walking, they passed by a large tent with flags flying everywhere.

Araile's eyes widened; she had never seen so many colours in her life!

Sakura said something about this being a circus, which Araile's face split into a wide smile. She'd never been to a circus before. The carriages stopped and the Prince stated that they would stop and watch the circus, which Araile cheered internally.

She wanted to go and see the circus with all its colours.

People were already gathering outside the tent, cries and shouts of excited children in the air. As the group entered the tent and took their seats, Araile looked around in awe. So many people were sitting here and watching the circus.

She felt giddy just sitting in the tent, and the circus hadn't even started yet.

The lights went out, and she wiggled in excitement. Animals of all shapes and sizes did trick upon trick, sometimes with performers and sometimes without. The final act came with a drum roll, and a large sabertooth tiger appeared, causing Araile to give a small ' _oh!_ ' in shock as her eyes widened.

It was beautiful! Grey fur and gold eyes, with muscles bunching underneath its sleek fur. It opened its maw and roared, causing Araile to lean forward in awe.

Even its roar was beautiful!

A small shape swung through the air, and Araile giggled as a monkey landed on its head. They began a game of batting the ball back and forth, until the announcer stated that whoever could hit the spinning apple would win a prize.

Her eyes widened as Hikaru got both shots, and she quickly looked away as Hikaru turned to look at the 11 year old with an arrogant smirk. She missed the way his smirk faded a bit, and before long the circus had ended.

The Konoha team had walked outside, and your eye sparkled when you caught sight of the sabertooth lounging on a box. He-Cham-was even more beautiful up close! You barely heard the ringmaster shout as the Prince bought the entire circus.

Hikaru walked past you, catching your eye as he held his hand out with an apple.

Araile's eyes widened; you never did that to an animal unless you were certain it wouldn't attack! Kakashi taught you that with his ninja dogs.

Before she knew it, Cham roared and lunged at the boy. Araile cried out, and Naruto lunged for Hikaru, rolling on the ground with the boy in his clutches. Cham halted in his tracks and with a swish of his tail, jumped back up on the wooden box he was on.

Looking up Hikaru pushed away and ran off, causing Naruto to grumble. Araile cocked her head in confusion at the retreating boy's back.

Why would he risk his life to pet the sabertooth?

A hand on her shoulder snapped Araile out of her inner thoughts and she looked up, smiling when she saw Kakashi behind her. Apparently it was time to go, and Araile followed her caregiver as he began walking towards a pier.

As the sun set, they waited for a large boat to become ready. The Prince wanted the circus to come with them to his island home, and this meant all the animals had to be loaded. Sitting on the dock, Araile let her feet dangle above the water. Ripples distorted her reflection every time she dipped a toe in, and this caused the young girl to giggle.

A cry caused her to look up, and her eyes narrowed in annoyance as she noticed Hikaru crying in front of Naruto.

What a baby. Araile didn't cry at all during this mission, and she was a ninja. Ninja never cried during a mission.

A dust cloud formed, and Araile's eyes widened.

' _Uh oh...Naruto caused Sakura's wrath_ ' Araile thought as Sakura kicked Naruto over Araile's head and into the ocean.

Soon, they had all the animals in their appropriate cages and were on their way. Araile leaned her chin against the side of the boat, staring at the endless ocean. It was so dark outside; the night sky seemed to merge with the ocean and Araile couldn't tell which was which. Her ear twitched as she heard the Prince laughing, and turned around when she heard Naruto complaining.

Blinking, she watched as Hikaru followed the small monkey they called Kikki up the stairs where some of the animals were kept. Cocking her head in confusion, Araile followed the boy, but was stopped when Kakashi called for her to eat.

Her stomach growled in agreement; she hadn't had much food that day. Yes, food was the way to go this time!

She skipped over to where Lee, Sakura and Kakashi were sitting and grabbed some food. She giggled with a mouthful of food when Sakura teased Naruto who was promptly tied up on the floor.

A distant rumble caught her attention, and she perked her ears forward.

What was that? Thunder? But there were no clouds in sight.

Her ears twitched again, trying to catch any sounds of thunder. There it was again! Her tail twitched nervously; she hated thunder. It was loud and hurt her ears.

"Kakashi?" Araile spoke, tugging at her caregiver's vest.

"Hm?"

"There's a storm coming" she said, and gazed around the boat, ears twitching constantly.

She tried to hide the tremble in her hands, but the Jonin could easily feel them. Placing a reassuring hand on her head, Kakashi smiled down at her.

"Why don't you go down below?" he said, ruffling her hair and earning a loud protest.

Nodding, Araile walked down the steps and down below deck to where they would be sleeping. Kakashi watched her go with a worried look in his visible eye. Araile always hated storms ever since he took charge of her. Hopefully, this storm would pass them by and Araile wouldn't have to be scared.

She hunkered down on her bed and pulled the blankets over her head, flinching slightly when her ears caught the sound of thunder again. She clenched the blanket tightly as another rumble sounded, and this one was closer then the previous.

As she had predicted, a storm did come, and it was a very large one. Strong winds and waves rocked the boat side to side, and Araile hung on to the rope that acted as a lead.

Everyone had to help to get the animals down below deck and out of the rain as the wind whipped the rain around. Her eyes stung and her knees hurt from falling on them numerous times, but Araile had a job to do and she would finish it no matter what.

Gritting her teeth, Araile struggled to open the cage to one of the animals.

"Hang on, I'll get you out!" she gritted out as she struggled to open the lock.

A large wave swept over the side of the boat, sweeping the young girl away and smashing her spine against the side of the cage, forcing a yelp out of her. Opening her eyes, Araile coughed and gritted her teeth as her spine throbbed.

Thankfully, the lock opened and the frightened animal lunged out of the cage and below deck.

Panting, Araile pushed wet strands of her hair away from her face as a cry caused her look up sharply. Her eyes widened as she saw Hikaru and Kikki get swept overboard by a large wave.

"Hikaru!" she cried out, her cry being drowned out by the wind.

Naruto created shadow clones of himself, and they all created a human ladder as they pulled the boy and monkey out of the water. Another wave swept over the boat, and Araile went tumbling on her knees, wincing as her knees screamed in protest.

Kakashi helped the young girl up and everyone went below deck and out of the rain. Shivering, Araile wrung out her hair with a towel as she limped towards her bag, trying to find a dry set of clothes.

"Here, let me heal you" Sakura said, and Araile sat down gingerly-after dressing in dry clothes-in front of her as Sakura got to work healing the 11 year old.

Smiling in thanks, Araile climbed on her bed and wrapped herself in her blanket. Her tail twitched slowly as she turned her gaze towards the door, a cold pit forming in her stomach. She hoped Hikaru was okay.

Sighing, she lay against the mattress and closed her still-stinging eyes, promptly falling asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Everyone crowded around the door to go below deck to see if Hikaru had recovered. Araile stood there as well, her hands wringing the hem of her shirt in worry. Her caregiver noticed this and placed a reassuring hand on Araile's head, smiling with his one visible eye as she looked up at him. Kakashi could tell that his young charge's feelings towards the Prince's son was changing by the hour.

Finally, the door opened, and the Prince waddled out along with a perfectly fine Hikaru. Sighing in relief, Araile walked up to Hikaru and threw her arms around the boy. Everyone but the girl caught Hikaru's cheeks becoming redder by the minute, causing some to giggle.

Araile finally released her hold on Hikaru, taking a couple steps back.

"I was really worried" Araile said, and giggled when Kikki jumped into his arms, chirping in joy.

Araile's ear twitched as soft padding sounded behind her, and she turned around. Cham calmly padded up to the boy, causing the ringmaster to shout out in fear that the sabertooth would lunge again.

Smiling softly, Araile watched as Cham bent his head, allowing Hikaru to finally pet him. Giggling, Araile walked up to Cham as the large cat lay on his belly, allowing Hikaru to pet him fully, a purr rumbling through the cat. Kneeling, Araile placed a gentle hand on Cham's flank, and the large cat rumbled in pleasure.

Kikki jumped on Araile's head, causing the young girl to laugh. Naruto walked up to the young boy and bowed at the waist, apologizing for hitting him earlier. Smiling, Araile picked Kikki up from her head and held the small monkey in her arms as the boys became friends. Sakura and Lee came up, saying that they would be friends as well.

Araile quietly placed her pinky alongside Hikaru's, causing a blush to cross both their face.

"Such young love! So youthful!" Lee sobbed dramatically, and Araile stuck her tongue out at the green clad ninja.

A roar suddenly came, and Cham placed his paws on top, causing everyone to fall over. Araile landed beside Hikaru and held her sides as she laughed. Her eyes softened when she looked over to see Hikaru crying, but something inside the girl told her that these were happy tears.

Maybe all he needed was friends...

Smiling, Araile sat up and Kikki jumped into her arms again.

"Can I keep Kikki?" she asked, giggling as she looked up at Kakashi.

"No, Kikki belongs to the circus" Kakashi said, leaning against the side of the railing and chuckling at the girl's pout.

The boat finally landed in the Crescent Moon Island pier, and Araile found that a small pulse of sadness pumped through her veins. Soon, they'd have to leave to go back to Konoha, and Araile wouldn't see Hikaru again.

Maybe they could write letters to each other?

That eased the sadness away a little, but it was still there. As they bid their farewells, Araile placed a hand on Cham's head, giggling when the large cat gave a loud purr of content as she scratched his ears.

"Araile, let's go" Kakashi said and she nodded, skipping to join the carriage.

The girl opted to walk along side Kakashi this time as they ventured through the town, the loudspeaker blaring overhead. Araile's tail twitched as something cold settled in her stomach, and a feeling of dread crawled over her.

This wasn't right.

Wasn't a town supposed to be busy and full of people? As they continued walking, the feeling became stronger and stronger. Araile's ears twitched constantly as they walked, trying to figure out why she was feeling like this.

A set of footsteps caught her attention, and her gaze snapped to the end of an alley. Cocking her head, Araile stopped and peered into the alley, ears pressed forward on her head.

"I know I heard something" she murmured to herself as her tail twitched anxiously, her mind mulling over what she heard.

"Araile?" Lee called, snapping the young girl out of her thoughts.

"Coming" she answered, taking one last look at the alley before jogging to catch up with the Konoha team.

Before long, they came to a large and ornate gate. Araile's eyes widened as the large gate opened to reveal a large castle.

It was even bigger then the Hokage mansion!

As the Prince and Hikaru got out of the carriage, two people came out on a balcony. Instantly the hair on your neck stood up straight. This man had evil written all over him, and Araile unconsciously stood in front of Hikaru, her ears pinning back. As the one man up on the balcony spoke, Araile looked around.

The feeling was bad, and it was double this time.

"The King has passed away!" the man on the balcony shouted, causing the Prince and Hikaru to react as a multitude of soldiers rushed in from all around.

They surrounded the carriage and the Konoha ninja, causing the Prince to freeze in terror. A growl rumbled through Araile as she carefully placed her hand inside her pack. There lay several kunai, and she would use them if she had to protect her team or Hikaru.

Hikaru...

Shaking her head, Araile took a step back to prepare herself. There was no time to be romancing! She had to protect the Prince and Hikaru!

"Kill them!" the man shouted from the balcony, and with a cry the soldiers attacked.

With a snarl, Araile quickly grasped the handle of a kunai and brought it down on one soldier, gritting her teeth as the soldier deflected it. All around her, she could hear screams from the attacking soldiers and screams from the Prince.

Araile lept to the side as one soldier slashed at her with his sword, missing her hip by metres. Growling, she brought her palm up, smashing it against the soldier's chin. The soldier toppled backwards, but another one took his place.

A scream caught her attention, and her gaze snapped up as a group of soldiers surrounded the Prince and Hikaru. A paper bomb exploded behind her, and Araile stumbled to the ground from the impact of the explosion.

The thunder of hoof beats clattered in the girl's ears as the carriage rolled away, but was stopped as a group of soldiers managed to get a hold of the reigns. Gritting her teeth, Araile got up and ran to the carriage, headbutting a soldier who was beside the carriage with a dull ' _thunk_ '. A small stream of blood flowed from a gash on her forehead caused by the soldier's armor. Her ears rang as her vision doubled from the impact, and she shook her head to try and clear it.

She stood up shakily as a soldier brought his sword down on her. Araile tried to lift her arm, but her movements were sluggish.

A flash of grey appeared in front of Araile, and she blinked as Kakashi slashed the soldiers away. She quickly wiped away the blood and looked up in surprise as another carriage came hurtling towards them. The soldiers stopped in surprise as a man jumped out, sword drawn.

Araile's ear twitched as the man from the balcony screamed that the new man was a traitor. A soldier screamed as he ran towards the new person, and Kakashi deflected it with his kunai. Apparently this new man was a friend of the passed King.

Araile blinked again as her vision finally cleared, and the man jumped onto the carriage, taking the horse reigns for himself. Slapping the reigns, the horses took off with the Prince and Hikaru in tow. Araile, Sakura, Naruto and Lee took off beside the carriage as Kakashi slammed his palm on the ground, a justu being conjured. It seemed to Araile that they were flying through the trees as they retreated as fast as they could. Finally, they came to an alcove of large rocks in the mountain where the man slowed the horses down. This new man, Koreaga, was Captain of the Guard of the King, who had in fact not passed away but was gravely injured. They managed to get the King to safety in these rocks. Panting, Araile wiped the blood that had started to flow down her face again.

"Have Sakura look at that" Kakashi said as he patted her on the shoulder.

Araile nodded, and went to Sakura who promptly healed the gash. Smiling her thanks, Araile walked inside the opening, squinting in the darkness.

"Grandpa!" Hikaru shouted, and Araile blinked as her eyes, now accustomed to the darkness, as he kneeled in front of a prone figure covered in blankets.

Cocking her head to the side, Araile took in the figure's appearance. Old with wrinkled skin, the figure-obviously male-had white hair with age spots speckled all over his body. So this was the King.

Why was he lying down?

Her answer was confirmed when Sakura lifted the blanket, and her hands flew to her mouth to hold in a cry of surprise. Half of the elderly man's body was encased in stone. Sakura quickly got to work, and the light of her glowing green hands lit up the cave.

As Sakura worked, Hikaru sat close to the edge of the cave, sorrow in his big brown eyes. Araile quietly sat down beside the boy, leaning her chin on her knees as she pulled them in.

"It'll be okay, you'll see" she said quietly.

Hikaru sniffed and looked at the girl beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder and gently held Hikaru's trembling hand, and Naruto and Lee came to sit beside the two children.


	4. Chapter 4

**As usual, I don't own Naruto. Please enjoy, review, follow or favourite :)**

As the moon rose higher in the sky, Araile noticed a change in the King. His eyes were becoming duller, and he struggled for every breath. She stayed by Hikaru's side, holding his hand. The King suddenly called Kakashi over, and he kneeled before the elderly King.

He took a shaky breath and requested that they looked over the Prince and Hikaru until the end, to which everyone agreed.

"Grandpa!" Hikaru cried as he shot to his side as the Prince cried about the King not dying.

The King silently closed his eyes, and took his last breath.

"PAPA!" the Prince cried, and Araile lowered her eyes, silently wishing the King a safe journey to the Other Side.

Hikaru then ran outside as the soldiers covered the King with a blanket. The Prince lay sobbing over his father's body, and the soldiers bowed their heads in respect. Araile walked outside and found Hikaru crying by the side of the cave entrance. Araile sat down beside the distraught boy, leaning her chin on her knees.

She would stay there with him for as long as he needed her.

"I never knew my parents" Araile said quietly, startling Hikaru as he looked up at her.

"They were killed when I was a baby. I've never knew anyone in my family besides Kakashi. He raised me" she continued as she looked at Hikaru, smiling at the fond memories of her living with the Copy Ninja.

"Really?" Hikaru asked as he wiped his eyes.

"Mhm! But you're lucky. You have a great father who loves and cares for you, and a grandfather who loved you very much. And you know what? Your grandpa will always be with you in here!" Araile said as she touched her heart, still smiling.

Sniffing, Hikaru gave her a small smile as Araile rested her chin back on her knees.

"Kakashi taught me that" she said quietly.

She reached over and grasped Hikaru's hand, squeezing tightly.

"And we're friends! Friends love each other and protect each other! Friends are family" she said as she stood up, facing Hikaru.

Hikaru stared at the girl with wide eyes, then nodded solemnly. Naruto and Lee walked out and sat beside Hikaru, consoling the grieving boy. Araile gave them space and walked back into the cave. Kakashi and the soldiers were speaking quietly with each other, and Araile's tail twitched curiously as she walked up to the group.

"We need to get the Prince and Hikaru off the island until it's safe" Kakashi was saying as Araile got closer.

"There is a beach not far from here that we can go to" the Captain, Koreaga, stated and Kakashi nodded.

"We will leave as soon as possible" Kakashi said, and turned to notice his charge behind him.

"Oh, Araile there you are. Go and get Hikaru for us; we're leaving to get them to safety" Kakashi said as he walked to the Prince.

Araile nodded, and walked outside to retrieve Hikaru. They loaded everyone inside the armoured carriage, and Araile hopped inside beside Hikaru. She grasped the young boy's hand as the carriage took off, bouncing up and down on the dirt path.

Her jaw clenched as Hikaru squeezed her hand tightly; she would protect him with all her might!

When they finally got to the beach, everyone became tense. Koreaga ran forward as one of his soldiers came from the ocean on a small boat. When the coast was clear, everyone made a run for it towards the boat. Araile ran beside Hikaru, but stopped suddenly.

Her gaze snapped towards the trees as she spied the Prince wallowing on the ground.

"Papa!" Hikaru's voice called anxiously as he ran to his father, trying to get the balloon of a man to stand up.

A rustle caught Araile's attention, and her gaze snapped towards the direction the sound came from. Her ears swivelled back and forth, trying to pinpoint exactly where the sound came from. Another sound came, louder then before.

There! It came from there!

Araile glared in the direction of the sound as Hikaru finally managed to get his father up off the ground. As the Prince, Hikaru and a small group of soldiers ran towards the boat, a rustle caught Araile's attention from another direction. A growl rumbled through the girl as she slowly reached into her pack for a kunai.

The Prince, slowing constantly, fell to his knees in the sand. Araile finally turned around and jogged back to the Prince. Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura and Lee ran back to him as well after telling the soldiers and Hikaru to go on ahead.

A gust suddenly sounded behind the small group as three ninja jumped out of hiding. Araile's eyes widened as the smallest of the three ninja threw a paper bomb to the ground in front of them, and she lept to the side as it went off. Her ears rang from the impact as she rolled to the side.

Looking up, Araile gasped when she saw that Kakashi had safely removed the Prince from the explosion, and slowly got up. Her ear twitched when the smallest of the enemy spoke with a nasal and high-pitched voice, causing her ears to pin back in annoyance.

The leader of the group suddenly flashed in between Naruto, Sakura and Lee and before Araile could cry out, the leader slammed Naruto to the ground. Naruto stood up, ready to face the man who was the leader, but couldn't land a hit. Once again, Naruto was pummelled to the ground.

Araile grabbed a kunai and jumped in front of Naruto, helping him up. Her ear twitched when the man spoke above them, and she snarled at him.

A kunai appeared suddenly at the leader's throat as Kakashi stood behind him, deadly intent in his visible eye.

"That's enough of you" Kakashi growled out, but the leader only laughed.

"Oh really?" he smirked, and movement caught Araile's eye as another member of the enemy ninja rushed towards them, his meaty fist raised.

Araile raised her arms, but was too slow as his fist connected with the young girl's ribs, sending both her and Naruto flying into the sand. Araile rolled onto her stomach, gagging as she brought a hand to her ribs.

Standing on shaky legs, she gasped as Naruto continued to be pummelled to the ground by the large ninja. Gritting her teeth, Araile noticed Hikaru looking at the battle, fear in his eyes.

" _Friends love each other and protect each other!_ " her earlier comment played in her mind.

" _I have to protect Hikaru!_ " Araile thought as she picked her way across the beach and onto the boat.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Araile coughed as she sat in front of Hikaru, pain blazing down her sides. Grimacing, she opened one eye to see the beefy ninja in front of them. Lee went flying through the air as Sakura fell to her knees, rose petals flying around her.

Araile's eyes widened when she spotted Kakashi with one arm encased in stone. Hikaru stood up and shot his arrow at the beefy ninja, but it was only a suction cup at the end of the arrow.

Chuckling darkly, the man snapped the arrow in two in one hand and reached down, grasping Araile by the neck. He lifted her up from the boat, and Araile scrabbled to get him to release her. He was effectively closing off her air, and she raked her nails against his arm. Araile gagged as he squeezed tighter, and her vision began to grow hazy and dim.

"Araile!" Hikaru cried as he watched helplessly, the girl's hands gripping the large man's arm in an attempt to free herself.

The man threw Araile over the boat, and she landed with a ' _splash_ ' into the shallow water. Her ears caught snippets of Hikaru shouting for someone to save him as her vision continued to darken. A wave of chakra suddenly exploded around her, and Araile's eyes snapped open.

Naruto! His chakra was merging with the Kyuubi!

Araile lifted her head out of the water just as the beefy ninja went flying into the sand. The smallest ninja then flew around Naruto, rose petals floating everywhere. Araile stood up in the shallow water on shaky legs, watching with wide eyes as Naruto effortlessly swept them away.

' _Gotta help her team...gotta get up...gotta protect Hikaru_ ' Araile chanted in her mind as she took a step forward.

Pain raced up and down her sides again and Araile fell to her knees in the water, one hand gripping her side. A scream caused her ears to twitch, and she looked up as the Prince was captured, wrapped up like a cocoon. Their target acquired, the three ninja jumped away. Naruto returned to normal, panting as Araile stayed on her knees in the water.

"Sensei!" Sakura cried out and Araile looked up blearily, gritting her teeth as she slowly stood up.

Kakashi had collapsed in the sand, his rock-encased arm effecting him. Araile took slow and shaky steps towards her caregiver and sat down on the sand beside him, panting heavily. If she took small breaths, her ribs wouldn't protest as much. Sakura began healing Araile after healing Kakashi, which Araile gave a small ' _thanks_ '.

Her ear twitched as she heard Hikaru sniffling, and her eyes lowered. She had protected Hikaru...but failed to protect the Prince.


	5. Chapter 5

Birds chirped as the small team of Konoha ninja, a handful of soldiers and a tearful young boy sat secluded in a forest. Sniffles echoed around the group from the loss of the soldier's captain and the Prince being captured. Araile sat close to Hikaru as the boy wept for his father. She heaved a small sigh, resting her chin on her knees as he continued crying. A bush rustled nearby, causing her ear to twitch slightly. She raised her head, gazing in the direction of the noise before anyone noticed.

Kakashi appeared from the bushes, hand rubbing the back of his head. He had gone to see if he could sneak in to save the Prince, but apparently the security was too tight for the Jonin. Araile's stomach clenched tightly as her caretaker explained the circumstances at the palace.

A twig snapped in the forest, and Araile's head snapped up. Her ears swivelled, trying to locate the sound. Her gold eyes narrowed, trying to see through the dark green foliage. What was that? Was it the enemy coming back to finish their job? She slowly got up, ears still twitching constantly as Naruto yelled at one of the depressed soldiers. She paid them no mind as she walked slowly towards the edge of the group.

She knew she heard something!

"Araile? Is something wrong?" Sakura said from behind her.

The pink-haired girl had noticed that the young girl was acting strange. The group took notice of the young white-haired girl as Araile stood still, ears pressed forward. Suddenly, her shoulders relaxed and she turned around with a smile.

"We have company" she said, and a rumble echoed from behind her.

Hikaru cried out in happiness as Cham stepped calmly out of the bushes. The young boy ran to the sabre-tooth and threw his arms around the cat. The large cat rumbled in pleasure as Hikaru held on tight. Araile giggled when a small brown shape jumped onto her head, chirping in her ear. Kiki then jumped to Hikaru, who held out his arms with a smile.

A huff sounded from the other side.

"Oh, young master! We found you" the ringmaster said as he stumbled from the bushes, the rest of the circus following.

Araile and Hikaru played with Kiki and Cham as the ringmaster complained to Kakashi. Apparently the palace turned them away or something, not that Araile was paying attention. She was too busy playing keep-away with Kiki, who had set its black little eyes on her tail. A sigh broke her out of her little game and she looked up, blinking as Kakashi rubbed a hand through his hair. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"Araile? Can you come here?" he said, beckoning her.

She nodded and walked over to him, tail twitching. Why did he want to see her? She blinked, gold eyes gazing up at the Jonin curiously when he ruffled her hair.

"Araile, we're going to save the Prince. I want you to stay with me while Naruto, Lee, Sakura and Hikaru will go and save the Prince" he said, visible eye smiling down at her.

Her eyes widened. She wanted to go with them! Hikaru might need her! She opened her mouth to protest, but Kakashi clapped his hands, getting everyone's attention. Araile grumbled under her breath as a plan was created. One team would sneak into the palace, while the other would be a diversion.

~~~~~~~~~~~  
Araile scratched at a piece of fabric that covered her ears and tied behind her head, effectively covering her ears. She couldn't hear anything clearly! She squirmed uncomfortably as her 'costumed' itched constantly. Cham gazed up at her, gold eyes locking with her own gold eyes. Araile smiled, placing a hand on top of his large head.

"It'll be okay, Cham. Hikaru will be okay" she murmured to the giant cat as the circus walked towards the large palace gates.

"Who goes there?!" a guard at the palace gates shouted.

"We are just a travelling circus! We are looking to perform for the lord of this palace!" the ringmaster shouted, his voice trembling a little.

Apparently the guards did not hear the tremble and opened the large gates. Araile bit the inside of her cheek nervously as the circus began to move again. Cham bumped the back of her arm, and she smiled as she scratched the cat behind the ears. People began to stream out of the palace, interested in seeing the circus. Hers ears twitched behind the cloth as she heard the distinct sound of running sandals, and her stomach clenched nervously. Kakashi began his little spiel, and her muscles tensed. It was now or never.

Kakashi revealed his sharingan, and everything suddenly exploded in a flurry of action. Soldiers poured out of the castle in a roar of metal and shouts. Araile gritted her teeth as her gold eyes narrowed. She snarled as a soldier ran towards her, sword raised over his head. She leaned back as he brought the sword down, and sprang back on her hands as she swiftly brought her heel up against his chin. She pushed her hands up as she completed the back flip as the soldier landed on his back on the ground.

Her heel screamed in pain and she bit back a cry. She must have hit the soldier the wrong way. She quickly rubbed the back of her heel before standing up straight. Now was not the time to her to nurse her wounds. She lunged at a passing soldier, ramming her shoulder into his back. The soldier cried out in surprise, but quickly gained his composure once he saw his opponent.

"You? You're just a little thing!" he laughed as he pointed his sword at her.

Araile growled and ran at the soldier. She aimed a punch at his hip, but then quickly changed to a kick aimed at his legs. The soldier saw this and quickly intercepted as he brought his sword down quickly. Araile couldn't stop in time, and the sword bit into her leg deeply.

She yelped as the blade was quickly pulled out of her leg, and she stumbled back. She snarled as the soldier laughed, and blood welled from her leg. It felt like lava was racing up and down her leg. The soldier raised his sword again, and Araile tensed. She couldn't dodge in time, especially with this wound. A kunai came out and hit the soldier's arm, and Araile blinked when a figure jumped in front of her.

As usual, Kakashi was looking out for her.


	6. Chapter 6

Explosions sounded around Araile as her caretaker stood in front of her in a protective way. Her leg throbbed with each breath she took, but she couldn't let that distract her. They had to defeat all the soldiers so Hikaru could save his father.

Kakashi made a hand sign, and the ground began to shake. Araile and Kakashi both jumped back as the ground beneath them began to crumble. The soldier shouted out in surprise as he fell. Landing on her feet, Araile hobbled a little as more soldiers filled her vision. She couldn't stop just because of her leg.

Tail thrashing from side to side, she lunged forward, kicking the feet out from underneath another soldier. He toppled over with a ' _clang'_ , and she smashed her heel down onto his head, knocking him out. Her ear twitched as the sound of a sword being drawn sounded behind her, and she leapt back just as a sword slashed down where she was before. Panting, she turned around to face her opponent. If she didn't move just in time, that sword would have done some serious damage.

An explosion sounded again, but this time it was from the castle. A smile tugged at her lips when her gold eyes caught sight of the plume of smoke that rose from the castle roof. The other team must be fighting the other ninja. Hopefully they were doing okay.

Araile mentally shook herself. Of course they were doing okay! Naruto was with them.

The soldier raised his sword again before charging at the 11 year-old with a battle cry. Araile tensed her muscles and jumped up and over the soldier. She then latched her arms around the soldier's neck and sank her teeth into his neck, and the soldier let out an ear-piercing scream. Growling, she bit down harder as the soldier flailed about, trying to get her off. Araile tightened her hold around his neck, and he began to get blue in the face.

She suddenly yelped as the hilt of a sword smashed against the side of her head, and she jumped off the soldier's back, rubbing her head. Blood began to slide down the side of her face as she turned around. Two soldiers stood in front of her. One had seen his comrade about to be choked to death by Araile and decided to help. Panting heavily, she wiped at the blood with her hand.

She could handle one soldier, but two? This was going to be hard.

A roar sounded as Cham slammed into the two soldiers, effectively knocking them to the ground. The big cat rumbled as he padded up to the girl, gold eyes searching her own. Araile smiled and briefly patted his large head.

"Go on, go find Hikaru! He needs you" she said, and the big cat took off towards the palace.

She watched the sabertooth go before turning back to the fight. The circus animals had begun to fight off the soldiers as well, which was quite a funny sight to the 11 year-old. Shaking her head, she gritted her teeth. Now was not the time to laugh! She had to help!

She took out a kunai from her pouch and lunged towards a soldier who was attacking a kangaroo. She snarled as she sunk the knife into the soldier's leg, and he screamed in pain. He turned around suddenly with his shield flying wildly around. Before Araile could blink, the side of the soldier's shield slammed into the girl, sending her flying. Pain flared across her ribs as the side of the shield caught and tore her shirt and skin. She smashed into the edge of the large fountain and laid there, stunned and gasping for breath.

She blinked as bits of concrete rained down on her face. She had to get up! Gritting her teeth, she shakily got to her feet, blood pouring out of the large gash across her ribs.

A rumble caught her attention, and her gaze snapped up towards the fountain. The water from the fountain rose up into a tidal wave, and crashed down onto the remaining soldiers, effectively washing them away.

An explosion sounded from the castle, and Araile's eyes widened when she was knocked down by the sonic wave. Thankfully she landed on her non-injured side as wind tugged wildly at her hair. That must have been Naruto. Wait...did that mean...?

Araile hastily scrambled to her feet to look around. Where was Kakashi? Her gold eyes scanned the palace grounds quickly, hobbling around and holding a hand to her bloodied side as she searched for her caregiver. Her ears strained forward, trying to catch any sound from him. He had to be here somewhere.

Finally, she found her caregiver lying on his back on the ground. She knelt down beside him, careful as to not agitate her wound.

"Are you okay?" she asked, gold eyes worried.

"Yes, just used my sharingan too much" he said with a chuckle, and Araile sighed in relief.

She wiped the blood that had begun to roll down her face again and looked around. The entire front of the palace was in ruins. A laugh caught her attention, and her head snapped up.

That was Naruto's laugh! She stood up carefully and picked her way across the rubble towards the entrance of the palace. If Naruto was laughing, they must be okay! Her gold eyes widened when she saw 3 figures coming towards her. Naruto, the Prince and...Hikaru! Her heart leapt in her chest when she spotted the boy, and she rushed to him.

"Hikaru! You're okay!" she cried out as she threw her arms around the boy.

Hilary's face turned beat red, causing his father and Naruto to laugh as she continued to hug him tightly. After a moment he returned the hug just as tightly, a huge smile racing across his face.

"Of course we're okay! Believe it!" Naruto said as he patted her on the shoulder.

"Is everyone alright?" another voice said behind Araile.

She spun around with wide eyes, and a large smile spread across her face.

"Sakura! Lee! You're okay too!" she cried out as she ran over to them, embracing them both.

Lee went on his usual tirade, causing Araile to giggle. They had all made it out safely.

"Everyone! Kakashi-sensei says we're now on vacation!" Sakura said as she knelt by Kakashi.

Both Araile and Naruto jumped into the air in delight. Araile never had a vacation before!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The sun shone on a now-crowded beach; laughter and talking filling the air. Araile ran around with Hikaru in the shallow water, chasing and splashing at each other. Everyone was healed, and the town had returned to its former glory.

Giggling, Araile splashed the cold ocean water at Naruto, who started yelling. This ensued a water brawl between Hikaru and the Konoha ninja. As she splashed Lee, a thought struck Araile: she had never felt so happy in her life until now. She paused, her smile disappearing slowly. They would have to leave Crescent Moon Island soon and return to Konoha. She would have to leave Hikaru. Even though she didn't want to admit it, Araile had begun to harbour some feelings for the young boy.

Shaking her head, Araile sighed. They would find a way to keep in touch. They could write letters to each other, maybe even visit each other too. Her smile returned as her spirits lifted. She would see Hikaru again, one way or another.

A wave of ocean water splashed into her face, and Araile spluttered in surprise. Her ear twitched as she heard laughing from in front of her. Wiping her eye, she saw that Lee was the one who had splashed her.

Grinning, she lunged at Lee and clung to his back as the others laughed. Lee fell on his stomach in the water with Araile attached, and both sat in the water, blinking. They looked to each other before letting out laughs.

Maybe they could take vacations more often?


End file.
